I love Secret Headquarters. It's not your typical comicbook store. It leans heavily into indie…read morepublishers. You can get DC and Marvel titles, but you're going to find Pantheon, Image and more underground publishers. It's a great place to discover a new indie comicbook. Super friendly staff. The area is great, so stick around for lunch or dinner.

This little comics and zine store is packed with goodies and extremely well-organized…read more Near a variety of gift shops, restaurants and media marts, Secret Headquarters is a cool little den of comics fun. Their selection is very comprehensive: ranging from Western superhero comics, to alt comics to manga horror. The store is very clearly divided, so the monthly comics are stored on one wall and the trade paperbacks and hardcover editions in the rest. I really enjoyed the minimalistic design: the white walls emphasize the colorful volumes much like a gallery space would its artwork. The clerk on duty was pleasant and helpful as several people came and went in the short time I was there. Comics are typically priced by publisher, so it's unlikely you would be surprised by the price of any of the inventory. Will definitely return.

I've lived in HLP for over a decade now and kept putting off a visit to Comics VS Toys for one…read morereason or another. When the urge to buy comics struck, I would default to the Pasadena stores - you know the ones - and man was that a mistake. I used to be an avid collector in the 90s, and Bali Books in Alhambra was my sanctuary. Every other store, no matter how good the selection, just felt impersonal. I recently decided to start reading issues in real time instead of waiting for TPBs, and of course that meant I needed a pull list. One stop at Comics VS Toys and dammit I feel like a 12 year old all over again. The owner, Ace, immediately took my requests and helped fill in some recent back issues I missed out on. Luckily my current list is staggered and I have a legitimate excuse to pick up my stack every week. And the staff is awesome, like your favorite neighborhood bar tenders. See ya next week! Do yourself a favor and go visit Comics VS Toys!

their selection wasn't right for me. that's ok, I'm hard to please. but they were straightforward…read moreand didn't waste my time.

I have been buying at this TCG/comic store ever since I started collecting Pokémon cards almost 7…read moreyears ago. They always have a lot of product for Pokémon from ETBs to regular packs, they even have a good selection of single cards. Today I decided to buy 2 singles from the set Paldea Evolved, the prices for the singles were really good (slightly under market prices). The only problem is how firm they are on prices and how expensive the sealed product is. I also bought 2 chaos rising ETBs that are worth $87 USD at the time of this review and purchase but they were at $95 so I asked if they could move the price to $90 since a bought 2, which is very fair. The man who was helping me out told me they were firm and wasn't very helpful. I feel like he could at least try to call the owner or manager to ask about changing the price. I saw a review that said they were able to call the owner and help with the price. A little bit disappointed because I'm a regular at Legacy. Additionally I feel like they should have more slabs (graded cards) because they only had 3 low level Japanese slabs. Something that does really help with the price is the point system that is really good and I think I must have already saved $50 to $100 thanks to it. I would recommend that the owner would give the employees a certain amount of discounts percentage they can offer or tell the employees to let him know if someone offers a lower price. Overall this card store is really good and I would put 4.5 stars if I could. Just keep in mind my recommendations. -Approved by James R.

UPDATE: thanks Howard. I think you misunderstood. I was asking for the exact same deal as the day…read morebefore. When they called you, you changed the terms. Also, please refer to market on tcg player or any other store around for market pricing. Also I went to a store 1.5 miles from you guys and was able to get mega dreams for $85. I would strongly suggest you review you pricing and consistency. Thank you I bought Pokémon cards and comic books. On my first visit, the staff were friendly and helpful. One of the workers even called the owner to work with me on pricing and was able to bring it down to fair market value at the max price while still honoring the store's point system. Even though prices were generally higher than other local shops, the experience felt fair, and I spent over $1000. I came back the next day excited to buy more. The owner did not raise prices, but he refused to give me the same pricing he approved the day before and removed the point rewards that were previously honored, with no clear explanation. I was not asking for a deal, a discount, or special treatment. I am not a scalper. I openly collect and open cards. I was simply asking for fair market pricing, even at the max market value. They told me they price at market value and showed me a specific site. That same site showed lower prices, yet I was told those higher prices are just their prices, despite knowing other stores nearby sell the same products at normal market value. I still spent close to $700 on the second day, but when the cashier asked if I wanted a receipt, it honestly hurt to say no because I knew I would not be coming back. I did make sure to tell the cashier this was not on him. He was genuinely kind and helpful, and I thanked him. Summary of issues: 1. Prices consistently above online and local market. 2. Inconsistent pricing and point system from one day to the next. 3. Point rewards removed without explanation. 4. Claiming market pricing while refusing to honor it. I truly thought I found a great shop during my travels, but after this experience, I will not be returning.

Wasn't very impressed by this store. I wasn't greeted upon entering like all the other shops on the…read morestreet. There was some sort of meeting going on where several ladies were at a table discussing various things, I couldn't really hear what it was concerning. The shop carries a lot of books, art, cards, stickers, zines that sort of thing. I looked around and got a vibe that it was an ultra liberal shop, it's fine I mean I don't have a problem with it I just didn't get a very welcome vibe. I saw some $2 chocolate bars at the counter so I bought one. The girl sitting at the cash register area never said hello or anything, she took my $2 and never looked me in the eye. I didn't feel very welcome here, and what they had wasn't anything I'm interested in so I won't be back.

Under new ownership since July 2020, the Pop-Hop is a worker-owned indie community bookshop &…read morecreative/educational space. The intriguing window display caught my attention and drew me in. Once inside I was captivated by the whimsical décor and lively atmosphere. The store carries new & used books with a focus on art, design, & pop-culture. You'll also find children's books, classics, and lifestyle publications. They also have a variety of hand-crafted items, which are great for gifts. I was surprised to see the vast array of Zines, which is really cool especially since I published my own music zine for many years. The owners host monthly events & workshops for the community so check out their website for more info: thepopshop.com *Metered street parking & residential parking.

Excellent intimate space for art viewing, poetry readings, story telling, etc. Lots of natural…read morelights from windows. Fits about 100 people (pre-covid). I love the photo ops with string lights at night and murals in front of the building too.

Great eclectic store with antiques, quirky collectibles, graphic novels and art books. Scott who…read moreruns the place is a welcoming and friendly guy and knows lots about illustration, comics history, furniture, and interior design. He also curates most of their gallery shows which have featured great artists and animators. The openings are always fun and a great way to meet cool artists and art-lovers. They also have a series of art classes on storyboarding, making comics, life drawing, etc. The teachers have many years of experience in their fields. Definitely worth checking out!

My FAVORITE place to shop for clothes in LA. I've been coming here for the past 8 years, and cannot…read moreeven begin to count how many amazing pieces I have bought here. Great clothes and accessories, great vibes, great prices, great staff. They even did me a huge favor recently while selling items. This place is the best. I'm a customer for life!

I love The Left Bank! I've been selling here for about 4 years now and buying even longer. I've…read moreliterally only had lovely experiences with the staff and the selection. I find their pricing to be very reasonable, they have a wide range of styles and price points, and because they're always buying they always have new things to see! They are very clear about their selling process - you drop off your items and they reach out within a few days with your total and you can choose cash or credit. You have to fill out a form that clearly states their policies, so as long as you read that there will be no surprises. If you have any questions, the staff is so happy to answer them for you. I've had questions about why things haven't sold or why they were priced the way they were and I have never been unsatisfied by their answers. I like other consignment/resale shops, too, but I think the Left Bank has the best customer service, the best selling policies, the best selection, the best prices in all of LA. Oh! They have a great instagram, too! It's awesome if you aren't local or aren't able to make it to the physical shop as often as you'd like.

Another very cute bookstore that's located in Los Angeles. It's fairly difficult to find street…read moreparking, especially on the weekends. I used the ParkSmarter app to reload my hourly fees for my car. Just a little hint if you're visiting from out of town. I didn't walk away with a purchase, because nothing truly peaked my interest. As an indie bookstore, you are offered a variety of items: cards, books, Knick knacks, magazines, and more. I think the best part of this bookstore is that they have a study area located in the back of it. Combined with the study area is a coffee shop that also sells beer. How cool is that! I was hesitant to sit at the bar since we were in a time crunch, but h would have loved to enjoy it. There were numerous patrons sitting around and having conversations and enjoying their beverages. The vibes eye very vintage yet hipster. Loved it entirely and I absolutely want to visit again !

My Stories Books & Cafe Diary:…read more Week 1 - I bought the Robert Crumb book of Blues, Country & Jazz Artists, had an espresso. The espresso was only $3.50. I wish it was served in a tiny porcelain cup. Week 2 - Bought a pack of Tarot cards and laughed at Keith Morris' memoirs - highly recommended. Bought an espresso, which was still served to me in a paper cup. Week 3 - Bought a collection of Anne Sexton's poetry. When will they film a biopic about her? She's totally movie material. I didn't know Vashti Bunyan wrote a book, holy cow. Couldn't slurp my espresso because all the chairs and tables were taken by campers, so I took my $3.50 espresso and hung out at the huge parking lot next to the patio.

This store is located in Americana and has three levels. Starbucks cafe is located on the third…read morelevel and it is usually busy. Sometime it is hard to get a table. This store is very organized and they have kiosks that it is helpful to find the books. They also have staff working on the floor which answers questions and help finding items. This store has anime, music and magazine selections and prices of the books are compatible which other stores or online. They also offer a reward program which offers discounts for cafe, books and magazines. Parking in Americana is not free. I think they validate the parking. I would suggest parking in the mall which is free and it is like five minutes walk.

I DESPISE when Japanese mangaka and other guests of honor choose to go to this location of all of…read morethem. It's super fisted with the regular crowds due to it's location in the shopping center, it's a traffic nightmare, it's not remotely close to anything else (convention center, Japanese hub, etc.), and the shop itself is a bit lackluster. Like, yeah I know we are running out of actual physical bookstores, but this is mostly a trinket, toys, gift store with some books to sell on the side. Manga and graphic novel selection is a bit limited. Staff recommendations were the most casual and entry level things ever like JJK or MHA, no offense. It's neat that it's multiple stories but, again, selection was a bit meh. Also unfortunately ran into zoomers using the escalators to film TikToks on more than one location...